Don't forget about corbels or wood brackets
for support of your countertops. Ideally they should be planed and purchased ahead of time.
Than you will have plenty of stress free time to finish them to mach your kitchen cabinets, and to
install them before your countertops arrive.

Kitchen Countertops

Materials for Kitchen Countertop

Picking out countertop material used to be a lot easier when there were
significantly less choices. Now there are not only more materials
available, but also new patterns, and new types of countertops application. The new trend is
to mix and match two different kinds of counter materials together. You might like to
pair up a solid-wood counter surface with a marble insert and stainless steel.

The countertop material that you select will be a large part of your overall
kitchen design. If you go with a
wood countertop, than your kitchen would be set for a
traditional or provincial style kitchen. A Concrete countertop, on the other hand, would be setting your kitchen for a more
contemporary feel. When using concrete, you could have a prefabricated
countertop or have it custom made with added colors, pieces of glass, tiles, or
anything else.

There are no rules set in stone about a certain material for countertops that you would like to
use, but one is prevalent no matter what rules you may follow: you must think
about the material and maintenance required to maintain the look of kitchen
counters. Even though marble is thought of as a very low-maintenance choice - it does have to be
sealed every couple of years as to not be damaged by liquids. If you have no
time for it, than you shouldn’t have to live with an expensive stained
countertop.

Solid-Surface Countertops

A solid-surfacing material for countertops is made from a synthetic material - usually polyester
or acrylic. It is very easily maintained. The costs and durability resembles
that of marble and granite. This type of countertop is absolutely water resistant and
almost impervious to any dents or scratches that you would have with light
sanding. The solid-surfacing countertops used to only come in white and pastel
colors, but now there is a much wider range of color - as well as customizing
options available. These countertops require very little maintenance and last at least
20 years!

Stone Countertops

Marble and granite are not only the most popular choices for countertops, but
also the most expensive.

Marble is a very heavy stone, but it is a very soft and
porous material. It can be stained very easily - even with water. Marble
countertops are a very
beautiful choice - usually every piece has its own little imperfections that are
greatly appreciated. You should treat marble counters very gently and make sure
that you keep them properly sealed.

Granite countertops are have come back with a boom - it is the new chic style.
Granite counters have a cool and
hard surface - but it is a lot less absorbent than marble. The downfall of granite
countertops is that they show fingerprints quite easily, but granite repels anything that would
permanently stain it much better than marble.

There are a few other stone materials for kitchen countertops that are popularizing themselves on the
designing scene: limestone and concrete. These countertops have a much more textured
look in comparison to to the refined and smooth look of marble or granite counters. They also, of course, have to be sealed
to be able to withstand the elements due to the fact that they are still
absorbent. Limestone could be gotten as a slab or as tiles. If you are thinking
about concrete countertops, know that it could be one of the most creative
countertop choices - you have a creative license that pulls out all the stops. You can mix any colors into
your concrete counters, creating any patterns that you would like to see in your kitchen.

Wood Countertops

Wood is incredibly beautiful and warm. It changes shape due to environmental
conditions - expanding and contracting. Wood countertops can warp if the surface is exposed to water
so it is a good idea to apply a finish in a form of a varnish, lacquer, or oil
periodically. If any burns or stains occur on the wooden counters, you can easily sand them away.

The top two wood options for kitchen countertops are Teak wood and Butcher-block
countertops made from sugar maple. Butcher-block countertops are great because
they resist warping, scratching, and damage from cutting.

Bucher-block counter definitely needs some upkeep. You need to make sure that you keep it
sealed - probably every month. You will also have to be able scrub the wood countertops
periodically with anti-bacterial soap to make sure that there will not be
anything left over on the counter from uncooked food. If you are willing to
commit to the upkeep your wooden countertops will last.

Stainless Steel Countertops

Using stainless-steel in the kitchen can make it look sterile, but you have to make sure
that you balance out the metal with warmer materials. Whether it is the whole
stainless-steel counter, or
just one section, you can balance it with the warmth of wood cabinets - it can be a very
sophisticated look. Stainless-steel could also be imbedded as a strip in a wood countertop to function as
a landing strip for hot pots. Another very good place for the stainless-steel
surface would be by the sink, because stainless-steel is impervious to water.

There are a few negative aspects for the stainless steel countertops, they can
get very noisy to work on and, and stainless-steel will show smudges. That is
important know that there are several grades of stainless-steel material.
than lower the grade than more likely that material will be vulnerable to
scrapes, stains, and corrosion. The higher the chromium and nickel content (and
therefore the grade), the better. You should definitely go for a material that
is the closest to the highest grade and also look for the thick stainless steel
so it won't dent easily. A good quality stainless-steel countertops should last
about 15 years

Ceramic Tile Countertops

Tile countertops have been a classic kitchen favorite. Of course, it is water proof and is
durable. It is amazing as a backsplash by your sink - it will add great color,
some pattern, and texture for the pattern. While hand-painted, imported, or
antique tiles are quite pricey and you might think that they are out of your
range, you can create a very unique design by using the not-so-pricey ones.
Don’t write off any tile that you may not be sure about. You cannot be sure
about how it will look until you try it in a combination with the others that
you know you are sure about.

There are two types of finishes that are used on tiles. They can either be
glazed or unglazed. The Unglazed ones are in a matte finish, they could be
pretty appealing, but they are not to be used around water or anything stainable
unless it is sealed. You can also get glazed tiles that are with a more matte finish.

Even though tile countertops have very easy upkeep, you must re-grout periodically. You have
a few choices with grout colors - you must, however consider, that darker grout
will camouflage stains better than the lighter colors. You also must remember
that you have to seal it to make sure that no bacteria will be trapped in the
grout itself, so that no unsanitary conditions will be created.

Plastic Laminate Countertops

The cheapest countertop surface and the most used surface in the kitchen. This
countertops are made from melamine, paper, and plastic resin that is bonded using
heat and pressure, than it is glued to particleboard or plywood.

These countertops are cheap and there is an incredible
array of colors and patterns. Laminate countertops can withstand minor abuse - such as some stains,
water, and minor scratches. On other hand, laminate counters cannot be protected against
being scratched by sharp knives and a pot right off the stove will burn the
finish. You cannot particularly repair those damages on laminate countertops.

The more expensive is the color-through (aka solid-core) laminate counters. They are a
bit different from the traditional laminates because they are solid all the way
through and there are no break edges between the different sheets of the laminate.

You can find patterned laminate countertops instead of the one color ones. You can find
faux stone, leather-, and wood-like laminate counters. Speckled stone pattern tends to be the most popular
one because it easily hides any of the imperfections that will be caused to the
countertop due to using it. There are laminates for kitchen countertops that are offered with an
anti-bacterial shield that would not only protect your counter from bacteria,
but also from mold and mildew. There are grade variations to the laminate countertops, but
due to the fact that it is so inexpensive go for the better ones. If you take
good care of your laminate counters and keep them clean, they will last you up
to 15 years!